How Many Reinstalls Allowed Before Authorization Required

[Guest]

How many times can Vista Ultimate be reinstalled on both the same computer
and a virtual machine hosted on Server2003 RC2 before a phone call is
required? I do a lot of reinstalling, just to learn the ropes of what you can
and can't do with an OS. Further, I am trying to learn enough about Server
2003 and Vista as hosts for other products in a networked environment
(especially Virtual Networks). What would be my best option for obtaining
both products in a form I don't have to spend endless hours getting phone
authorizations to reinstall once my limit is past? There are a number of
disabled veterans attempting to learn network administration and software
development who just don't have loads of money to plunk down. Getting the
hardware and the basic operating systems is problematic enough.
I'm trying to help them, so a solution from Microsoft would be a great help
to us. Hopefully Michael Dell will be willing to help with some of the
hardware issues. What would Microsoft suggest to someone trying to learn how
to lay out a basic network with Active Directory to someone who doesn't have
a rich uncle?
Thanks for giving this some thought...

 

[Tiberius]

you cannot install the same vista product key *license* on more than one
machine physical or virtual.

sorry

 

[Guest]

This still doesn't answer the question. So I install the server OS and run
each Vista license on virtual machines. The question remains how many times
can you reinstall the one copy of Vista on a machine, no matter whether
Virtual or Real. before it hits the automatic reauthorization limit and you
have to spend all sorts of time getting a new activation key. I assume the
retail product remains portable to some degree, unlike the oem version which
can never be transplanted. This has nothing to do with installing the same
copy on 2 different machines at the same time. I would think by now MS would
have thought of a way to make that process easier. Especially those of us who
volunteer time and effort beta testing MS products (and providing feedback)
that may or may not wind up making reinstallation necessary. Backup and
System Restore in XP were less than optimal in many cases. Sometimes you want
to wipe delete everything and set up a different partitioning scheme.

--
Help Disabled American Veterans reclaim the future they sacrificed in
service to our nation and world security in general. Put someone in a
wheelchair in front of a computer with the right software!

you cannot install the same vista product key *license* on more than one
machine physical or virtual.

sorry

 

[Rock]

This still doesn't answer the question. So I install the server OS and run
each Vista license on virtual machines. The question remains how many
times
can you reinstall the one copy of Vista on a machine, no matter whether
Virtual or Real.

<snip>

Answered in your other thread.